Electromagnetic device.



H48. BEAKES.

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, I915.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

.D u Q\ WITNESSES W INVENTOR' UNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD S. BEAKES, 0F WILKINSIBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Original application filed .lune 14, 1914, Serial No. 811,995. Dividedand this application filed November 20, 1915. Serial No. 62,487.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HOWARD S. BEAKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkinsburg, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, but temporarily residing at 18 Wattle Valley road, Canterbury, Melbourne, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electromagnetic Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electromagnetic devices and particularly to electromagnetic relays.

The present application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 811,- 995 filed June 14, 1914.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a. diagrammatic view showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention applied to apparatus for the control of a railway switch.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a railway switch, which is actuated by an electric motor 1) through the medium of a suitable actuating mechanism F. P designates power mains comprising wires 11 and 12, which mains are supplied with current from a source 10, here shown as being a battery, and from which mains current is supplied to the motor D by means of a suitable operating circuit. The operating circuit is controlled by an electromagnetic device G, located preferably adjacent the switch A, which device is governed by a control circuit which includes contacts operated by a manually operable lever C, usually one of a plurality of similar levers in an interlocking machine.

-The switch operating mechanism F, in the form here shown, may be briefly described as follows: Operatively connected with the armature 13 of motor D is a screw 15 which coacts with a longitudinally movable nut 16. This nut is rigidly connected with a plate 18 provided with a cam slot 20, which latter coacts with a roller or stud 17 this roller or stud drives a bar 19 connected with the movable rails of switch A. It will be seen that rotation of the armature 13 in first one direction and then the other causes reciprocation of the plate 18, and that reciprocation of this plate causes reclprocation of the bar 19 and consequently of the switch rails. The plate 18 carries four cams 30, 31, 54, and 57, which actuate respectively circuit controlling contacts 32, 33, 52 and 53 for purposes hereinafter explained.

The lever C, as here shown, is of a usual and well known type comprising a shaft 70 which is adapted to be oscillated manually by a handle 70 and which operates contacts 21, 22, 25 and 26. The contacts 21 and 22 constitute a pole-changer for reversin the direction of current in a winding of the electromagnetic device G as hereinafter explained. The movements of the shaft 70 are governed by return indication devices K and K each of which comprises a segment 27 mounted rigidly upon the shaft 70 and provided vzith a dog 28 which engages with a latch 29 operatively connected with the armature of an electromagnet N or B. Each of these electromagnets is provided with a circuit which is controlled by contacts 25 and 26 and by a polarized relay Q, as hereinafter explained. Contacts 25 and 26 are not moved during the first portion of the movement of the shaft 70 up to the point at which it is stopped by the dogs 28 but during the remainder of the movement of the shaft the contacts 25 and 26 are reversed in position. This operation of contacts 25 and 26 is obtained, as here shown, by mounting the contacts loosely on the shaft 7 O, and by moving them by pins 73, 74, 75 and 76 carried by disks 71 and 72 fastened to the shaft 7 O; The electromagnetic device G comprises an electromagnet 2, a polarizing winding 3, and an armature 4 polarized by thewinding 3 and controlled by the electromagnet 2. The winding 3 is preferably provided with a hard steel core or bar 23 by means of which the armature 4 is polarized at such times as winding 3 is not carrying current, as hereinafter explained. The armature 4 will hereinafter be termed the polarized armature. In the construction as here shown, the electromagnet 2 comprises two soft iron cores One end of the hard steel core 23 is fixed in the back strap 9 which latter is extended downwardly for the purpose, and the polar ized armature 4 is pivotally mounted in the other end of this core to swing freely between pole-pieces 5 and 5 Upe'ratrvely connected with armature 4 are two contacts 95 and 96 which control the supply of operating current from the mains P to the motor D, and a third contact 24 employed for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Fixed to the pole-pieces 5 and 5 are brackets 34 and 34 of non-magnetic material in which is journaled an armature 6 whlch is adapted to be attracted by the pole-pieces 5 and 5*, and which is biased away from these pole --pieces by a counterweight 35. This armature, which I will hereinafter term the neutral armature, operates two contacts 45 and 49, the former of which controls the circuit of motor D and the latter of which is employed for a purpose hereinafter explained. The neutral armature 6 lsprovided with a lug 7 which coacts with a finger 8 of non-magnetic material fixed to polarized armature 4 to lock the latter armature in one or the other of its extreme positions when neutral armature 6 is in its raised position. When armature 6 is attracted to the pole-pieces, the finger 8 may pass over the lug 7 so that the polarized armature 4 may then swing from one pole-piece to the other.

The terminals 38 and 39 of the polarizing winding 3 are connected respectively with conductors 41. and 42, the connection of terminal 38 with conductor 41 including contact 49 so that this winding is deenergized when neutral armature 6 is open. Conductors 41 and 42 are reversibly connected with the power mains P by the pole-changing contacts 21 and 22 on lever C. The circuit mana es ture is biased to the positionshown independently of the locking device 7-8. Contact 49 is open, so that the circuit of the polarizing winding 3 is open and this winding is therefore consuming no current. When it is desirable to move the switch A to its other position, which I will herein term the reverse position, the shaft of lever C is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow until the dog 28 of indication device K engages latch 29. This movement of the shaft reverses the position of polechanging contacts 21 and 22 thereby connecting wires 41 and 42 with the positive and negative mains 11 and 12 respectively. Terminal 37 of electromagnet 2 is now connected with positive main 11, the circuit for the winding of the electromagnet being as follows: from positive main 11 through wire 40, contact 22, wire 41, contact 24, wire 37, coil 2 wire 44, coil 2 wire 36 to negative main 12. The electromagnet 2 is now energized so that it closes the neutral armature 6, thereby unlocking polarized armature 4 and also closing contact 49 and opening contact 45. The closing of contact 49 closes the circuit of polarizing winding 3, which is as follows: from positive main 11, through wire 40, contact 22, wires '41 and 46, contact 49, wire 38, winding 3, wires 39 and 42, contact 21, wire 43 to negative main 12. The current which flows in this circuit is in such direction as to cause polarized armature 4 to including winding 3 and conductors 41 and be magnetized with polarity opposite to that 42 will be traced hereinafter. One terminal 36 of the winding of electromagnet 2 is connected with negative power main 12, and the other terminal 37 is connected with one or the other of conductors 41 and 42 by contact 24: according as polarized armature 4 occu-.

pies one extreme position or the other. This contact 24 is so arranged that when the lever C and the polarized armature 4 occupy corresponding positions, terminal 37 is connected with the conductor (41 or 42) which is then connected with the negative power main 12 by lever C, so that at. such times electromagnet 2 is deenergized and armature '6 is therefore in the raised position.

In the drawing I have shown the switch A'in what I shall herein term its normal posltlon, and the other parts of the apparatus in the position corresponding to this position of the switch. with the'parts in these positions, terminal 37 of electromagnet 2 is connected with the negative main 12 through wires 41"and 43 and terminal 36 which was caused by the residual magnetism in the hard steel core 23, so that armature 4 swings over to pole-piece 5, thereby reversing contacts 95, 96 and 24. The current in winding 3 also reverses the polarity of the magnetism in the hard steel bar 23. The reversal of contact 24 causes terminal 37 of the electromagnet 2 to be connected with conductor 42, which is now connected with the negative main 12 at lever C, so that both terminals of the electromagnet 2 are now connected with the negative main and this magnet is therefore deenergized. The neutral armature 6 then rises, thereby again 96 reversed, the motor D is energized by the following circuit-from positive main 11, through wires 47 and 48, contact 96, wire 51, motor armature 13, wire 50, contact 45, wire mosses main 12. The motor D is operated by this current in such direction as to actuate the mechanism F to move switch A to the reverse position.

When the movement of the switch A has been completed and the switch rails have been locked by the longitudinal end portion of cam slot 20, contact 33 is reversed in position by cam 31, thereby opening the motor operating circuit at this point so that the motor then stops. At the same time contact 53 is reversed by cam 57, and since contact 52 was reversed by cam 54 at the beginning of the movement, relay Q is now energized through the following circuitfrom positive main 11, through wires 47, 62 and 63, contact 52, wire 64, winding of relay Q, wire 65, contact 53, wire 66 to negative main '12. The direction of current in this circuit is such as to cause the polarized contact 68 of relay Q, to swing to the opposite position from that shown in the drawing, so that indication magnet R is now energized through the following circuit-from positive main 11, through wire 67, neutral contact 58, polarized contact 68, wire 69, contact 25, Wire 77, indication magnet R, wires 78 and 43 to negative main 12. Magnet R is now energized and raises its latch 29 out of the path of dog 28, so that the movement of lever C may then be continued-to the end of its stroke. During this last portion of the movement of lever C, contact 25 is reversed, thereby opening the circuit of ma net R, and contact 26 is also reversed, there y closing at that oint the circuit for magnet N so that the clrcuit for this magnet may be closed at contact 68 after the switch has been returned to its normal position.

The operation of the apparatus during the movement of the switch A from its reverse to its normal position is similar to that just described. For such movement, the direction of the control current through the polarizing winding 3 is again reversed by con tacts 21 and 22, sothat motor control contacts 95 and 96 are then moved back to the positions in which they are shown in the drawing. Motor D is then energized in such direction that it operates to return the switch A to its normal position. After such movement has been completed the polarized relay Q is energized in such direction that its con tact 68 returns to the position in which it is shown in the drawing, so that indication magnet N is then energized thereby permitting the movement of lever C to be completed. It will be noted that contacts 52 and 53 operated by the switch mechanism F constitute a pole-changer for connecting relay Q with the mains P in one direction or the other according as switch A is in one extreme position or the other, and for disconnecting this relay from the mains and placing the relay on short circuit while the switch is being moved.

One important feature of the apparatus is that no current is consumed by the electromagnetic device G except when the switch A is about to be moved. But in spite ofthis, if the'neutral armature 6 is raised by hand and the polarized armature 4 reversed in position and the neutral armature againreleased, the'parts will automatically return to their original positions, because terminal 37 of the electromagnet 2 will then be connected through wire 42 with the positive power main 11, so that this electromagnet will be energized and will close its armature 6, thereby closing at contact 49 the circuit of the polarizing winding 3; and since lever C has not been moved to reverse contacts 21-22, the winding 3 will be energized in such direction as to cause armature 4 to be attracted to pole-piece 5, so that polarized armature 4 will be returned to its original position. Furthermore, if neutral armature 6 is depressed by hand, polarized armature 4 reversed and neutral armature 6 is again raised and held in the raised position by hand so that the switch A is reversed, the

parts of the device G will immediately as-.

sume their original positions as soon as neutral armature 6 is released, for the reason just explained, so that the switch A Wlll then be returned to its original position. It will be seen, therefore, that the apparatus 1s absolutely self-restoring.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims wvithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An electromagnetic device comprising a neutral electromagnet, apolarizingwinding, an armature polarized by said winding and controlled by said electromagnet, a neutral armature controlled by said electromagnet, and means controlled by said neutral armature for mechanically locking the polarized armature. o

2. An electromagnetic device comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, a hard steel core in said winding, an armature polarized by said winding and by said core and controlled by said electromagnet, a neutral armature controlled by said electromagnet, and means for locking the polarized armature by the neutral armature.

3. An electromagnetic device-comprising an electromagnet, a polarizing winding, an armature polarized by said winding and controlled by said electromagnet, a neutral armature controlled by said electromagnet,

and locking means controlled by said neutral controlled by said electromagnet, and means armature for locking said polarized arma-' operated by the second armature for locking ture when the electromagnet is denergized the first. and for releasing the polarized armature In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 when the electromagnet is energized. in presence of two Witnesses.

4. An electromagnetic device comprising an electromagnet, a Winding, an armature HOWARD BEAKES' controlled by said electromagnet and by said Witnesses: Winding and responsive to reversals of cur- JAMES HALL, 10 rent in said Winding, a second armature ERNEST OAK'roN. 

